Snap-on web supporting member for web feed mechanism



April 15, 1969 E. A. NICOL 3,438,560

SNAP-ON WEB SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR WEB FEED MECHANISM Filed July 12, 1967 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

EDWARD A. NICOL.

United States Patent U.S. Cl. 226-196 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure includes a web or paper sheet feeder having a driven shaft to which pin feed Wheels are aflixed in spaced apart relationship along the shaft. To prevent sagging of the web between the pin feed wheels, one or more web supporting and guiding members are attached to the shaft between the pinfeed wheels.

Prior art In the past, it has been the practice to support a Wide paper web between pin feed wheels by discs which had to be assembled onto the pin feed shaft and aflixed thereto by set screws or other fasteners. This assembly is objectionable because of the diificulty of assembling the discs axially onto the shaft and the removal of the discs requires complete dissambly of the pin feed unit.

Summary of the invention The invention resides in the provision of a Web supporting member which may be snapped laterally onto a web feeding shaft to rotate with the latter.

It is an object of the invention to provide for a shaft 2. disc-like collar or flange of a structural character such that it can be laterally snapped onto a shaft.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a web or sheet feeding device embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view, and

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view, partly in elevation.

In the drawings, a Web or sheet feeding mechanism includes a mounting having rigidly connected together side members and 12 to horizontally support a rotatable shaft 14 which may be driven by any suitable means. Afflxed onto the shaft there is a pair of pin feed wheels 16 and 18 having circumferentially spaced apart pins to engage in holes in a web or sheet 22 to be fed.

Where the paper web to be fed is thin and pliable and is of substantial width, there is an undesirable sag in the sheet between the pin feed wheels 16 and 18 requiring support for the sheet. To support the sheet, 1 provide a support and guide member 24 of a structural character such that it can be snapped onto the shaft 14 laterally thereof and be frictionally held to the shaft to rotate therewith. The support and guide member 24 may be made of a suitable plastic material which is durable and resistant to wear, such as, polyacetal. A solid, and preferably unbendable arcuate portion of the member 24 may be designated as the base as at 26, and integral with the base there is a hub 28 concentric with the circumferential edge of member 24. The hub 28 is cylindrical in shape for about two-thirds of its circumference and is interrupted to provide an opening to receive the shaft 14, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Edge portions 30 of the hub near the shaft receiving opening are resiliently flexible outwardly as a pilot for the shaft 14. Further, the cylindrical contour of the hub 28 extends about two-thirds of the periphery of the shaft 14 so that the diameter A of the hub opening is slightly less than the diameter B of the shaft 14. This structure permits the hub 28 to be snapped onto the shaft with sufficient surface area in contact with the shaft 14 to effect a friction drive between the parts. In addition, as the hub is snapped into place on the shaft 14, the flared end portions of the hub flex back to their normal positions free of any appreciable stress.

In order to obtain an optimum of peripheral surface in supporting the paper 22 and at the same time make it possible to assemble member 24 to the shaft 14 laterally of the latter, the member 24 is provided with an opening 32 which is aligned radially with the hub opening and is defined by the rounded ends 34 of a pair of resilient portion 36 of the interrupted disc 24. The portions 36 are integrally joined with the base 26, preferably above the center of the hub 28 and preferably tapering to the rounded ends 34. These tapered portions 34, in assembling the member 24 to the shaft 14, are sufficient flexible so that end portions may be displaced in opposite directions to widen the space C sufficiently to fit over the shaft 14. After the ends 34 clear the shaft 14, they may be released to return to the normal coplanar positions and the hub 28 may be snapped laterally onto the shaft 14.

What is claimed is:

1. A web supporting and guide member mountable laterally onto a supporting shaft and yieldably opposing movement therealong comprising a sheet base portion, a pair of laterally positioned portions joined to and coplanar with said base portion, said arms having resilient end portions with the ends in spaced apart relationship opposite said base portion and displaceable from the plane of said base portion, and a U-shaped hub joined to said base portion between said arms with the axis of the hub transverse to the plane of said base portion, said hub having flared end portions to yieldably receive a supporting shaft.

2. A web supporting and guide member mountable laterally onto a supporting rod to yieldably oppose movement therealong as defined by claim 1 wherein the arms taper to their ends with the ends spaced apart a distance less than the distance between the flared end portions of said hub.

3. A Web supporting and guide member mountable laterally onto a supporting rod to yieldably oppose movement therealong as defined by claim 1 wherein the spaced apart end of said arms are disposed on the other side of said hub from said base portion and opposite the flared end portions of said hub.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,076,022 4/1937 Hagemann 216l96 ALLEN N. KNOWLES, Primary Examiner. 

